


Tony Stark's kids

by intern_at_german_chapterhouse



Series: The mechanic, the hero and the kind soul. [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Precious Peter Parker, Protective Peter Parker, Tony Stark Has A Heart, baby science bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 22:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18748045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intern_at_german_chapterhouse/pseuds/intern_at_german_chapterhouse
Summary: Endgame Spoilers!After Tony's final sacrifice, both Pepper and Peter have to deal with the aftermath. And find that they can help each other.





	Tony Stark's kids

When Pepper finally lets go of Peter, he has to take a deep breath. Not just because the crying woman was squeezing him a little tighter than maybe necessary but also because he is crying too.  
Tony's funeral has taken its toll on both of them as well as the others in the living room of the Starks' house. He died more than a week ago, but the funeral couldn't take place before the Avengers felt like the reparations that were needed after the war were completed. They wanted to get everything done before taking some time to properly mourn their lost friend, mentor, husband or father. But it took them longer than they had expected. First the battle field needed to be cleaned. Everyone who joined them in their fight had to be nbrought back home which they could have never done without the wizards' help. And then there were the bodies. Tony wasn't the only one who lost his life in their war to defeat Thanos. Hundreds of people died fighting the aliens. They had to be brought back to their loved ones. At least, after this fight they had something to bury. Peter couldn't even imagine what it had been like mourning people who were just gone. Vanished into thin air.

And when the battle field was taken care of, Peter thought they could finally go home. He logged onto his email account since his cell phone was gone, lost in a street fight five years ago. There were dozens of old mails from 2018, from friends and family, asking if he was still alive. And then there were two new ones. One from Ned and one from May. Peter read them both as fast as he could. They had died just like him and returned the same day he did. Two days ago. He felt guilty for not messaging them sooner and apologized in an email, telling them he was fine but couldn't come home quit yet. How could he have forgotten to think of them? He had been so preoccupied with cleaning up the mess Thanos left, with being there for Pepper, he completely forgot abut the two people closest to his heart. Both of them replied within seconds, saying how glad they were that he survived the war and that all the Avengers were fine. Peter knew that Captain America and King T'Challa had talked to the media, explaining a bit of what happened. Apparently no one had told the world that her best defender was no longer alive. But he couldn't bring himself to put it into words so he didn't answer the emails.  
They didn't go home then, after all. Pepper, Steve, T'Challa, Rhodey and everyone else who felt like they could deal with it, held conferences with heads of states all over the world. Every government had to deal with the fact that suddenly the population of their country had doubled. People suddenly returned to life after five years of being away. They needed plans, needed to not forget crucial things they had to take care of to make sure that everyone was okay. Ration foods until there was enough again, rebuild infrastructure that hasn't been used in half a decade, reopen schools and coordinating people's return to their jobs. It was a nightmare. Peter couldn't really help them but he did what he could. He brought them coffee (way more than he thought could be healthy for anyone), sat with them when the grief struck, told jokes when the silence at the dinner table got too loud. Somehow, taking care of the others, if even in the most subtle ways, helped him. It eased his own pain to see Rhodey's first half smile, four days after Tony died. Once, he almost made Pepper smile. It involved him dangling from the ceiling right behind the hologram of the new German chancellor who got very irritated when Pepper kept looking at something behind her.

After seven days, Pepper and him went back down to New York and picked up aunt May. Pepper had invited her and Peter to stay with her in the Starks' house, at least until the funeral. May was still working on getting their apartment back. Apparently after half of New York City's residents died the rents plummeted and a lot of people moved into their own or bigger apartments. Right now, two frat boys lived in their apartment and no one knew how to handle this circumstance. But Peter knew that the US Government had a law ready that would give them back their apartment. It just had to be passed by the senate. Once all the laws required to control this whole mess were through, they'd have new elections. Pepper had actually explained it all to him but he forgot most of it.

Peter also doesn't remember the drive to the house on the lake front. What he does remember is getting out of the car and seeing the door being opened by Happy. Before Tony's former bodyguard could get out of the house, a little girl ran out the door and down the stairs, her dark hair in two braids flying behind her. Morgan. She ran up to her mother and hugged her. “Where's daddy?” Morgan's question was so innocent and happy, it made tears well up in Peter's eyes. But Pepper was already crying. Peter hated seeing her cry. She was one of the strongest people he knew but the past few days had been so hard on her. He knew that she tried to stay strong for her daughter but she had to turn away. May was about to kneel down next to the little girl but Peter was faster. “Hi,” he said, “you must be Morgan. I'm Peter.” While Morgan smiled at him he could see his aunt putting her arms around Pepper. “Hi Peter.” God, she looked so much like her father when she smiled. Peter hadn't seen Tony smile that often, at least not his genuine smile. But when Tony did smile his face looked so much younger and free and his eyes lit up exactly the same way as Morgans did right now. Swallowing down his tears, Peter got back up and hold his hand out to Morgan. “Are you hungry? Maybe Happy could get us something to eat!” She didn't answer right away but rather turned her head to her mother who was still trying to get her emotions under control. “Okay.” This girl would grow up to be as strong a person as her mother, Peter was sure of it.  
Pepper took a few minutes until she felt like she wouldn't cry again the moment someone mentioned her husband. Then she took Morgan upstairs to her room to talk. Peter had no idea what she told her daughter. He couldn't even remember what May told him when his parents died and he had been older than Morgan.  
Happy, May and Peter were sitting at the kitchen table, Morgan's Skittles in a bowl between them. Neither of the three particularly felt like eating anything. May took Peter's hand and just held it. He got where she was coming from, making sure that Peter was still there, right next to her, alive. If she hadn't taken his hand, he would have taken hers. But if the two of them felt like this, how must everyone else have felt after the Snap? May and him, they both died and then came back, to them it felt like no time had passed at all. Peter went straight from dying in Tony's arms to Tony dying in his. Everyone had lived their lives for five years, without the ones Thanos had killed. Happy for example looked so much older than when Peter had seen him last. And even though it felt like three weeks ago to the teenager, for Happy it had been more than five years. He had lived in his own little house near the lake for five years, not too far from the one Tony built for his family. He watched his best friend's daughter grow up, watched Tony doting over her. And then he lost him.  
Suddenly, Peter had to think of all the others who died on the battlefield. Some of them had survived Thanos' first attack, others had died with him. And then died again only minutes or hours after returning to the living. And then he remembered the battle field. The bodies. So many. Everywhere. He felt sick and cold and his hands shook and he started crying again. When May tried to comfort him, he shoved her away. He hadn't even known those people! But he had known Mr. Stark. He was there when he died, he was the one to hold Pepper after, even though he's not sure if she wasn't actually the one holding him.  
It didn't take long for him to calm down. He had gotten better at swallowing down the bitter taste in his mouth he always had in these moments. When he finally felt like himself again he took a deep breath and opened his eyes to see May looking at him, scared. “I'm fine. Sorry.” May took his hand. “You don't have to be sorry.” It was as if she sensed that he didn't want to talk about what just happened, at least not right now. So she just took his hand, let him know she was there for him whenever he felt like telling her what had happened to him. Peter squeezed his aunt's hand and smiled at her.  
After that, silence filled the room again until Pepper came back down the stairs, more than half an hour after going upstairs. “Morgan is asleep.” Peter could hear that she had been crying. He got up and hugged her. There wasn't really anything else he could do, but be there for her. That's all any of them could do for each other.

 

The funeral service was good, at least according to May. Peter hadn't gone to the graveyard with them. He stayed behind with Morgan and played games with her. Peter likes spending time with children, mostly because they always seem to like him. But playing with Morgan is different. She isn't just a small human he met on the street or the child of a friend of May's. She is Tony Stark's daughter. And it shows. She is smart and curious and relentless when she wants to know something. But she's also kind and so careful when suddenly a butterfly landed on her arm. When it flied away into the sunny spring day, Morgan's eyes followed it for as long as she could make it out. Peter would have been able to watch the small insect for far longer, but he preferred watching the little girl. She had that warm little smile on her lips again, the one that makes his heart ache. “Mom says dad is up in the sky. By the stars.” For a few seconds, Peter wasn't sure what to say. And then he remembered how he felt after losing his parents. Like there was no one who could ever understand what he felt. “My parents are up there too. I'm sure they're all watching us right now.” Morgan thought for a while and then said: “You sure?” “Absolutely.” Peter took her hand and they both looked up into the sky for a few moments. “Peter? I think we should wave at them.” And so they did. Just for a while. Then they went back to playing with Morgan's favourite ball and she won the next round of soccer. One time she almost fell and got her dress dirty, but Peter was fast enough to catch her. And in that moment he promised himself to always be there to catch Morgan.

The service at the graveyard was the big funeral everyone wanted to see for Tony Stark. There were paparazzi and people who never actually talked to Tony, they just wanted to go to a celebrity's funeral. The actual service takes place after. At the lake, right in front of the house Tony built for his family.  
Peter knows most of the people there. Most from the battle and from their efforts to control the aftermath. Some from the news and stories every kid hears. There's Captain America, the incredibly smart Dr. Bruce Banner, and even Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel, who asked him to call her Carol. _The_ Captain Marvel. And the scary guy with the eye patch who stayed behind on the porch must be Nick Fury, Tony told him about the director of SHIELD and Peter could tell that he had the utmost respect for him. Although he doubts that Tony would have ever told Fury that directly. There's actually just one person, Peter doesn't know. A young man, not much older than himself. He can't figure out how he's connected to Tony until the memorial starts so he postpones that question for after.  
They walk out on the wooden landing stage. Pepper puts a wreath of flowers onto the water. It's carrying something Peter recognizes as the first Arc Reactor Tony built in a cave for his suit. “ _PROOF THAT TONY STARK HAS A HEART_ ” it says. Through the tears, Peter is smiling and he takes May's hand and squeezes it lightly. She squeezes back and smiles at him. Peter remembers the last words Pepper said to Tony: “You can rest now. We'll be okay.” Up until that moment he didn't really believe it. How could they be okay with everything that happened and then losing Tony? Iron Man has been Peter's hero since he can remember. It took him a while to realize it, but the last few years it wasn't Iron Man he looked up to anymore, it was the man in the suit. The man who was so much more than just a guy in a metal can. Tony Stark.

After the wreath floated away, when Morgan begins to get uneasy as kids her age do after a while of standing still, they all go back to the house in silence. There's champagne and a little something to eat and they all stand together and tell stories. About Tony, about the impact he had on them, what they'll remember forever. The sun slowly descends but it's still warm out and Peter's heart swells. Two of the Avengers he hasn't met personally yet, Wanda Maximoff and Clint Barton, go to sit on a bench at the lake shore and talk. He sees them comforting each other and he's pretty sure that they are talking about the other two people they lost, the ones that Tony couldn't bring back with the stones. His heart feels as if it's about to burst from all of the different emotions he's feeling at the same time. Sadness, hope, loss, excitement for the future, regret, warmth, and so many more.

After talking to everyone who seemed like they were up to talk to him, Peter sees the unknown young man standing alone a few feet away from everyone else. So he just goes over to him. “Hey, I'm Peter.” He offers his hand and shakes the man's. “Harley. How did you know Tony?” And Peter answers the way he always does when someone asks him that: with a lie. “I did an internship at Stark Industries, you?” “I saved Tony's life.” “What? How?” Harley laughs and simply says: “With a sandwich, the batteries from my potato gun and my sister's Dora The Explorer watch.” Before Peter can even understand what Harley said, Pepper calls for them.  
“Peter, Harley, could you come inside for a minute? I'd like to show you something.” Peter nods at Pepper and walks up the stairs. The other young man, the one he doesn't know walks up beside him and gives him a little nod too. Before they enter the door, Peter sees Happy sitting on the porch with Morgan on his knees who says “A cheeseburger.” In the house it's so much darker than outside that it would probably take most people a few seconds to be able to see something, but Peter has better eyes than most. So he sees the helmet of an Iron Man suit sitting on the table in the living room before Harley does and takes a sharp breath three seconds before the other man does. Pepper motions for them to sit down on the couch and they do while she takes a seat in the chair to their right.

The helmet plays a hologram. It's Tony. “Pete, Harley. Wow, I really hope that you're never gonna watch this, because I'm actually really looking forward to introducing you to each other.” They quickly look at each other before turning their heads back at the video playing. “You two both showed me that I don't totally suck at taking care of kids. And I feel like being able to handle the likes of you made me realize that I could handle taking care of my own kid. Okay, I'm not going to get too sentimental here, because I'm pretty sure that everything will go off without a hitch tomorrow and I can just say something less cheesy to you, face to face.

“But, just in case something does happen, I got something for you. Four years ago, I set up two scholar ships. If I... If I'm not able to make a nomination for who gets them, Pepper does and I know that she would always make the right choice, but if this thing tomorrow works, I want to make this one. Next semester, the two recipients of my scholarship are you guys, Peter Parker and Harley Keener. I want both of you to have every possibility there is to become the two geniuses I know you'll be someday. Plus, I'm hoping that this will keep you guys from doing something stupid. Yes, Peter, this is directly aimed at you. Don't screw up, okay? Just... Be the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man you always wanted to be and let us take care of the big stuff, okay? Stay in school, kid!” Tony's hologram takes a pause and Harley stares at Peter with an open mouth: “You're Spider-Man?!” Peter can only nod before Tony speaks again. “Do good, both of you. I'll see you soon.” The helmet emits a light click-sound and the hologram is gone.  
The last four words make the tears that gathered in Peter's eyes fall. There's a tear on Harley's cheek as well, but Pepper is just smiling. She hands them a folded piece of paper each. “Here, Harley, you get the scholarship for MIT, and Peter, this one is for your last few semesters at Midtown tech, and then I'm sure you'll get one for MIT too. It's what Tony would have wanted.” Harley opens the paper, quickly reads it and says: “Thank you so much. Mom wasn't really sure how to pay for school now that my sister is back. She has to pay tuition for both of us again and we haven't really saved that much. This way, she'll be able to get a better school!” He smiles at Pepper and folds the paper again.  
“I don't know, Mrs. Stark. I'm sure there's someone else who deserves this more than me.” Before Peter can give the paper back to Pepper and before she can protest, Harley already says: “Dude, did you even look at the scholarship? Like, its name for example?” Both of them look at him, waiting for him to look at the paper. So he gives up and unfolds it, he takes another look at the two, both still looking at him, waiting. With a sigh he starts reading.

“Dear Mr. Peter Parker,  
Congratulations on a job well done. Through your hard work and determination you have proven to be the kind of student _The September Foundation_ would like to recognize and support on your future education. I am honoured to tell you that you are this year's recipient of the - “ Peter stops. He can't believe what his eyes are seeing. Is he reading that right? “- The _Peter Parker Scholarship for High School Education_ for the rest of your high school career.” Peter still can't believe what the letter says. The Peter Parker Scholarship? “Why?” is all he can say.  
“He missed you a lot, Peter. He felt so guilty for not protecting you. He wanted to do something good in your name, he actually told me that this was just the beginning. I think... I think in a way you were the real reason he even joined Steve and the others last week. Because he felt like he failed you. If you hadn't died, I think he would have stayed here, for Morgan.”  
After looking to the ground for a few seconds, Peter looks up at Pepper, “Sorry,” he says, “I'm so so sorry.” But Pepper laughs. Peter can't believe that she's laughing! She just told him, that her husband died trying to bring him back, that it was his fault that Tony Stark died. “He said you'd say that. He said that that was the last thing you said before you died. And it's one of the last things you said to him. It's okay, Peter. He would have regretted not going, not doing everything he could to bring all of you back. You were just the last straw.” And then she hugs him. And he's crying again, but she just holds him. He hates that he's crying, that she has to comfort him. He knew Tony only for a few years and it's not like they spent a lot of time together. And she just lost the love of her life! But he's just so tired. It's all been so much.

 

Spring turns into summer and the weekends Peter spends at the lake house get warmer and feel longer. He teaches Morgan how to swim because Pepper refuses to get into the lake. One time he brings Ned and MJ. Every time, him and May turn onto the driveway in their old beat up car, Morgan comes running down the front steps and jumps into Peter's arms. Happy comes over every Saturday they're there. Peter thinks Tony's bodyguard might have a thing for his aunt. But talking to him makes her happy, so he's just glad that she seems to enjoy their trips. During the summer holidays, Harley joins them for a few weeks. Pepper lets them use Tony's equipment and some old parts they found all over the house and garage. Using them, Peter helps Harley build a robot for one of his classes. Morgan just sits on the stairs and watches them, humming to the songs the stereo is playing. After all, those are the same songs her dad used to play every time he was tinkering down there.  
That's how Pepper finds them one day. Peter leaning over his laptop, a pen between his lips, working on a program he wants to install in the robot. Harley is working on said robot, currently taking off its head. And her daughter is sitting on the lowest step of the wooden staircase, watching them. Pepper leans against the frame of the kitchen door and just observes them for a while. Up until she found out she was pregnant with Morgan, she had never really wanted kids. She even laughed when Tony suggested it, back on that fateful day in the park. But then Morgan came along. And then, when she lost her husband, those two boys came into her life. They were almost grown up and they both went through a lot. She could see it in Peter's eyes, anytime he flinched when someone dropped something on the floor or when they were watching movies and something exploded. She could see the fear and dread that she had seen in Tony's eyes for years. But just like with Tony she could see it fade away. Slowly, bit by bit, but steadily. When Tony died, she had told him that they were going to be okay. And standing there, looking at those three kids she knows that they will. Because they didn't loose him. Not entirely. Everyone of them is carrying something of Tony Stark in them.  
Harley Keener, the mechanic.  
Peter Parker, the hero.  
Morgan Stark, the kind soul.  
Tony Stark might be dead, but he lives on, in all three of his kids.

 


End file.
